Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
Version 7.5
March 2006
MotionBuilder Tutorials
Version:
MotionBuilder 7.5
Date:
March 2006
This publication, ("Publication"), or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form, by any method, for any purpose.
AUTODESK MAKES AND YOU RECEIVE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES. AUTODESK SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY WARRANTY
INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT REGARDING THIS PUBLICATION, AND MAKES THIS PUBLICATION AVAILABLE SOLELY ON AN "AS-IS" BASIS.
IN NO EVENT SHALL AUTODESK OR ITS LICENSORS HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, OR COST OF COVER IN CONNECTION WITH OR ARISING OUT OF THE
PURCHASE OR USE OF THIS PUBLICATION. THIS LIMITATION OF LIABILITY SHALL APPLY TO ANY DAMAGES, HOWEVER CAUSED AND
REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER DERIVED FROM CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, NEGLIGENCE), OR
OTHERWISE, EVEN IF AUTODESK HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
Autodesk reserves the right to revise and improve its products as it sees fit. This Publication describes the state of this product at the time of
its publication, and may not reflect the product at all times in the future.
AUTODESK TRADEMARKS
The following are registered trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. in the USA and other countries: 3DEC (design/logo), 3December, 3December.com,
3D Studio, 3D Studio MAX, 3D Studio VIZ, 3ds Max, ActiveShapes, Actrix, ADI, AEC-X, Alias, Alias (swirl design/logo), Alias|Wavefront (design/
logo), ATC, AUGI, AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, Autodesk, Autodesk Envision, Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Map, Autodesk MapGuide, Autodesk
Streamline, Autodesk WalkThrough, Autodesk World, AutoLISP, AutoSketch, Backdraft, Bringing information down to earth, Buzzsaw, CAD
Overlay, Can You Imagine, Character Studio, Cinepak, Cinepak (logo), Civil 3D, Cleaner, Combustion, Create>what's>Next (design/logo),
DesignStudio, Design|Studio (design/logo), Design Your World, Design Your World (design/logo), EditDV, Education by Design, FBX, Filmbox,
Gmax, Heidi, HOOPS, i-drop, IntroDV, Kaydara, Kaydara (design/logo), Lustre, Maya, Mechanical Desktop, ObjectARX, Open Reality,
PortfolioWall, Powered with Autodesk Technology (logo), ProjectPoint, RadioRay, Reactor, Revit, SketchBook, Visual, Visual Construction, Visual
Drainage, Visual Hydro, Visual Landscape, Visual Roads, Visual Survey, Visual Toolbox, Visual Tugboat, Visual LISP, Voice Reality, Volo, WHIP!,
and WHIP! (logo).
The following are trademarks of Autodesk, Inc. in the USA and other countries: AutoCAD Learning Assistance, AutoCAD Simulator, AutoCAD SQL
Extension, AutoCAD SQL Interface, AutoSnap, AutoTrack, Built with ObjectARX (logo), Burn, CAiCE, Cinestream, Cleaner Central, ClearScale,
Colour Warper, Content Explorer, Dancing Baby (image), DesignCenter, Design Doctor, Designer's Toolkit, DesignKids, DesignProf,
DesignServer, Design Web Format, DWF, DWFit, DWG Linking, DWG TrueConvert, DWG TrueView, DXF, Extending the Design Team, GDX Driver,
Gmax (logo), Gmax ready (logo), Heads-up Design, HumanIK, Incinerator, jobnet, LocationLogic, MotionBuilder, ObjectDBX, Plasma, PolarSnap,
Productstream, RealDWG, Real-time Roto, Render Queue, StudioTools, Topobase, Toxik, Visual Bridge, Visual Syllabus, and Wiretap.
The following are registered trademarks of Autodesk Canada Co. in the USA and/or Canada and other countries: Discreet, Fire, Flame, Flint,
Flint RT, Frost, Glass, Inferno, MountStone, Riot, River, Smoke, Sparks, Stone, Stream, Vapour, Wire.
The following are trademarks of Autodesk Canada Co. in the USA, Canada, and/or other countries: Backburner, Multi-Master Editing.
THIRD-PARTY TRADEMARKS
All other brand names, product names, or trademarks belong to their respective holders.
Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, and Distiller are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United
States and/or other countries. Apple, Mac, Macintosh, Safari, and Quicktime are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. registered in the U.S. and
other countries. Intel and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries. Macromedia and
Flash are registered trademarks of Macromedia, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. SGI, Silicon Graphics, and OpenGL are
registered trademarks of Silicon Graphics, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries worldwide. Softimage and XSI are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. LightWave and LightWave 3D are registered
trademarks or are trademarks of NewTek, Inc. Wacom is a trademark of Wacom Co., Ltd.
THIRD-PARTY COPYRIGHT NOTICES
Portions relating to JPEG Copyright 1991-1998 Thomas G. Lane. All rights reserved. This software is based in part on the work of the
Independent JPEG Group.
Portions relating to TIFF Copyright 1997-1998 Sam Leffler. Copyright 1991-1997 Silicon Graphics, Inc. All rights reserved.
The Tiff portions of this software is provided by the copyright holders and contributors "as is" and any express or implied warranties, including,
but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose are disclaimed. In no event shall the copyright
owner or contributors of the TIFF portions be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, or consequential damages (including,
but not limited to, procurement of substitute goods or services; loss of use, data, or profits; or business interruption) however caused and on
any theory of liability, whether in contract, strict liability, or tort (including negligence or otherwise) arising in any way out of the use of the TIFF
portions of this software, even if advised of the possibility of such damage.
GOVERNMENT USE
This Publication is a "Commercial Item," as that term is defined at 48 C.F.R. 2.101, consisting of "Commercial Computer Software
Documentation," as such term is used in 48 C.F.R. 12.212 or 48 C.F.R. 227.7202, as applicable. Consistent with 48 C.F.R. 12.212 and
48 C.F.R. 227.7202-1 through 227.7202-4, as applicable, the Publication is provided to U.S. Government end users (1) only as a
Commercial Item, and (2) with only those rights as are granted to all other end users pursuant to the terms and conditions hereof. Manufacturer
is Autodesk, Inc. 111 McInnis Parkway, San Rafael, California 94903, USA.
Contents
About the MotionBuilder Tutorials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Installing tutorial files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Installing the proper FBX Plug-ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
MotionBuilder workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
MotionBuilder Tutorials
iii
Table of Contents
Create poses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Create animation with poses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Mirror poses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Play the animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Table of Contents
Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
MotionBuilder Tutorials
v
Table of Contents
Version 7.5
vi
Note
MotionBuilder Tutorials
1
If the Asset browser does not contain this folder, you must obtain the
MotionBuilder 7.5 CD and re-install MotionBuilder. On both Windows
and Mac OS X, the tutorial files are installed by default.
3ds max
Lightwave
Maya
Softimage XSI
MotionBuilder Tutorials
2
MotionBuilder workflow
This section describes a common workflow that introduces the eight
tutorials provided to help you become familiar with the using
MotionBuilder. For any steps in the workflow that do not include a
dedicated tutorial, you can find more information in the MotionBuilder
Help.
Although the tutorials introduced here assume you are using
MotionBuilder for a character animation project, this workflow can be
easily adapted to any animation project where MotionBuilder is used in
conjunction with other 3D modeling or rendering software.
The basic workflow for using MotionBuilder can be summarized as
follows:
1
Install the necessary FBX Plug-ins so you can transfer your work
from other 3D software packages into and out of MotionBuilder.
For example, if you are using Maya for character modelling, you
need to install the Maya FBX Plug-in so that you can transfer the
models you create into MotionBuilder. See "Installing the proper
FBX Plug-ins" on page 2.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
3
Add a Character asset for your character model and characterize it.
The Character asset helps you to map out the structure of your
character model so that it can be animated in MotionBuilder. Once
you have completed this mapping process, you activate the
character model by characterizing it. Characterizing lets
MotionBuilder know that this character model is ready to be
animated.
All major character animation features in MotionBuilder, including
Control rigs and animating in the Story window, require a
characterized character.
The first tutorial, Loading and characterizing character models on
page 7, shows how to create a Character asset and use it to map
out your character models structure.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
4
MotionBuilder Tutorials
5
MotionBuilder Tutorials
6
This tutorial takes you through the steps necessary to bring your
character models into MotionBuilder and get them ready for animation.
Each character model brought into MotionBuilder has to be
characterized before you can create a Control rig, create poses, and
use other animation tools. In order to characterize a character model,
you need to map out its structure.
The major steps of this tutorial include:
1
From the menu bar, select File > New, then select Layout >
Editing.
MotionBuilder displays a new scene using the Editing layout. This
layout displays all the windows you need for your work in this
tutorial.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
7
This character model was created in Maya, and the bones were
named according to the naming conventions found in
MotionBuilders Mapping list.
Version 7.5
8
From the Templates > Characters folder of the Asset browser, drag
a Character asset into an empty area of the scene (figure 1-3).
figure 1-3: Drag a Character asset from the Asset browser into the scene.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
9
figure 1-4: Navigator window A. A Character is added in the Scene browser. B. The Character
Settings display.
Version 7.5
10
In the Scene browser (figure 1-7, A), activate the Lock option
(figure 1-7, B) to lock the view of the Character Definition pane.
B
MotionBuilder Tutorials
11
Tip
Version 7.5
12
Alt-drag the LeftUpLeg node into the LeftUpLeg slot of the Mapping
list (figure 1-9).
figure 1-9: Alt-drag Mias LeftUpLeg bone into the LeftUpLeg field.
Use figure 1-10 and the following checklist as guides to map the
rest of Mias bones to the Base (required) nodes in the Mapping
list.
Slot
Bone
Hips
Mia:Hips
LeftUpLeg
Mia:LeftUpLeg
LeftLeg
Mia:LeftLeg
Mapped
MotionBuilder Tutorials
13
Slot
Bone
LeftFoot
Mia:LeftFoot
RightUpLeg
Mia:RightUpLeg
RightLeg
Mia:RightLeg
RightFoot
Mia:RightFoot
Spine
Mia:Spine
LeftArm
Mia:LeftArm
LeftForeArm
Mia:LeftForeArm
LeftHand
Mia:LeftHand
RightArm
Mia:RightArm
RightForeArm
Mia:RightForeArm
RightHand
Mia:RightHand
Head
Mia:Head
Mapped
Although Mia has many bones, you are only required to map the
Base group of fifteen for MotionBuilder characterization.
Version 7.5
14
After you have completed the character mapping process for the
Base group, the Mapping list resembles figure 1-10.
figure 1-10: All of Mias bones are mapped to the Base nodes in the
Mapping list and the character mapping is complete.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
15
In the Character dialog box that appears, click Biped (figure 1-12,
A), since the Mia skeleton stands on two legs and makes contact
with the floor using only the feet.
Version 7.5
16
Summary
In this tutorial, you loaded a character model, mapped out its
structure, and characterized it. In the next tutorial, Creating and
Customizing a Control rig on page 19, you will create and customize a
Control rig for your characterized character.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
17
Version 7.5
18
This tutorial shows you how to create a Control rig and customize it for
creating animation in later tutorials. After you have created,
customized, and saved a Control rig, you can reuse it for other models.
The major steps of this tutorial include:
1
From the menu bar, select File > New, then select Layout >
Editing.
MotionBuilder displays a new scene using the Editing layout. This
layout displays all the windows you need for your work in this
tutorial.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
19
figure 2-1: Drag Mia_characterized from the Asset browser into the Viewer window.
Version 7.5
20
Expand the Characters folder in the Scene browser and doubleclick the Mia character (figure 2-2, A).
figure 2-2: Navigator window A. Double-click Mia in the Scene browser B. The Character
Settings display.
In the Create Control Rig dialog box that appears, select FK/IK
(figure 2-4, A).
Click in the Viewer window, then press Ctrl-A until you are in X-Ray
display mode.
In X-Ray display mode, you can see the FK and IK effectors that
make up the Control rig. The blue and red IK effectors let you
intuitively manipulate the character using a setup that simulates
how the human body moves. The yellow FK effectors let you
selectively fine-tune individual body parts. If you plan to do any
fine-tuning with your own characters, create Control rigs with both
FK and IK effectors.
Version 7.5
22
In the Character Controls window, open the Show menu (figure 2-6,
A) and disable the Skeleton option.
This hides the characters skeleton so you can see the FK and IK
Control rig effectors clearly in the Viewer window (figure 2-6, B).
B
figure 2-6: A. Select the objects you want to display in the Show menu.
B. The Control rig displays on the Mia character.
Switch back to view the Character Settings pane (figure 2-7, B).
A
The Control rig is also shown as the active motion source by the
Input Type menu and the Active option in the Character Settings
pane (figure 2-7, A and B).
MotionBuilder Tutorials
23
Version 7.5
24
The green and blue floor contact markers display around Mias
hands and feet (figure 2-9).
figure 2-9: Green and blue floor contact markers display around Mias hands and feet.
Select one of the floor contact markers underneath Mias feet and
translate it, using the following guidelines and figure 2-11 for the
marker placement:
Align the middle marker where the toe bone starts (figure 211, B).
Align the front marker with the toe of the model (figure 2-11,
A).
MotionBuilder Tutorials
25
Align the rear marker with the heel of the model (figure 2-11,
C).
figure 2-11: Placement of Mias foot floor contact markers A. Front marker B. Middle marker
C. Rear marker
Note
Version 7.5
26
Switch to Producer Front view (Ctrl-F), zoom in on the feet (Ctrldrag), and translate the foot markers right or left to position them
at the edges of the feet as shown in figure 2-12.
A
B
MotionBuilder Tutorials
27
A
B
C
Version 7.5
28
Expand the Hands Floor Contact Setup option and select Wrist
from the Hands Contact Type menu (figure 2-15, A).
A
B
figure 2-15: Character Setting pane A. Expand the Hands Floor
Contact Setup group B. Select Wrist as the Hands Contact Type.
Align the front markers with the base of the fingers (not
including the thumb)
MotionBuilder Tutorials
29
In the Character Controls window, right-click the Left Ankle cell and
select Create Aux Pivot from the contextual menu (figure 2-17, A).
A new Auxiliary pivot is created for the left ankle IK effector (figure
2-18, A). The Auxiliary pivot displays on the left ankle cell in the
Character Controls window as a blue X (fig 14-7, B).
A
B
figure 2-18: A. The Auxiliary pivot displays in the
Viewer window. B. A blue X represents the Auxiliary
pivot in the Character Controls.
Version 7.5
30
In the Viewer window, select Pivot from the Selection mode menu
to switch to Pivot Selection mode (figure 2-19).
figure 2-19: Selection mode menu A. Select Pivot to switch to Pivot Selection mode.
figure 2-20: Place the Left Ankle Auxiliary pivot A. Front view B. Side view
Note
MotionBuilder Tutorials
31
Right-click the Left Ankle cell again and select Create Aux Pivot
from the contextual menu (figure 2-21).
Summary
During this tutorial, you created a Control rig, arranged the floor
contact markers on the characters feet, then created two Auxiliary
pivots to control the rotation of the foot. In the next tutorial, Creating
a Character Extension on page 33, you will add a Character Extension
to the Mia character.
Version 7.5
32
From the menu bar, select File > New, then select Layout >
Editing.
MotionBuilder displays a new scene using the Editing layout. This
layout displays all the windows you need for your work in this
tutorial.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
33
Drag the servo.fbx file into the scene and select FBX Merge > No
animation from the contextual menu.
Version 7.5
34
MotionBuilder Tutorials
35
figure 3-4: Schematic view of hierarchies in the scene. A. Mias skeleton. B. Mias Control rig
C. The Servo arm
Zoom in on the Servo arm hierarchy at the right of the view (figure
3-4, C), and select the ServoMaster node.
Version 7.5
36
figure 3-7: A. Parenting the ServoMaster null to Mias right shoulder bone. B. After parenting.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
37
Switch to the Schematic view to verify that the Servo arm is a child
of the Mia:RightShoulder bone (figure 3-8). When you have verified
this, switch back to the Producer Perspective view.
A
B
figure 3-8: Verify the parenting operation. A. Mia:RightShoulder bone B. Servo arm hierarchy
Version 7.5
38
A
B
MotionBuilder Tutorials
39
Alt-drag the ServoControl effector from the Viewer window onto the
Mia Extension and select Add to Mia Extension from the contextual
menu that appears.
Version 7.5
40
B
figure 3-14: Slide the Close_Open property (B) to manipulate the Servo arms pincers (A).
Alt-drag the Close_Open property over the Mia Extension (figure 315, A) and select Create 1 Property Reference from the contextual
menu (figure 3-15, B).
A
figure 3-15: A. Alt-drag the Close_Open property to the Mia Extension. B. Select Create 1
Property Reference.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
41
Select the Mia Extension in the Scene browser (figure 3-16, A),
then activate the Lock option in the Properties window (figure 3-16,
B) so that the Mia Extension properties stay open no matter what
you select.
B
figure 3-16: A. Select the Character Extension. B. Lock the Properties window.
Define Mias right shoulder bone as the Reference object for the
Character Extension by Alt-dragging the Mia:RightShoulder bone
(figure 3-17, A) into the Reference Object field in the Properties
window (figure 3-17, B).
figure 3-17: Drag Mia:RightShoulder (A) into the Reference object field (B).
Version 7.5
42
You can also use the Include Part In Full Body option to define
whether you want the Character Extension to be keyed when you
set keys in Full Body Keying mode.
Summary
In this tutorial you added an extra limb to the Mia character by creating
a Character Extension. In the next tutorial, Creating a Walk Cycle on
page 45, you will animate the character and the Character Extension
using the Pose Controls.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
43
Version 7.5
44
This tutorial guides you though the process of using poses to create a
walk cycle.
The major steps of this tutorial include:
1
From the menu bar, select File > New, then select Layout >
Editing.
MotionBuilder displays a new 3D scene using the Editing layout.
This layout displays all the windows you need for your work in this
tutorial.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
45
Create poses
In this step, you will create several full body poses on your character,
including the Character Extension, that will be used in the following
steps to create a walk cycle.
Version 7.5
46
Ctrl-click to select the wrist and ankle effectors (figure 4-3, A) and
turn off all effector pinning by disabling the T and R options in the
Effector Pinning area (figure 4-3, B).
C
A
By default, Full Body is the selected keying mode (figure 4-3, C). In
this mode, pasted poses are placed onto the characters entire
body, and keyframes are placed on all effectors.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
47
Select the Left Shoulder effector then rotate the effector until
Mias left arm is in a more natural position at her side. Repeat for
the Right Shoulder and right arm (figure 4-4).
Select both wrist effectors and translate them upward on the Yaxis to give the elbows a natural bend (figure 4-5).
Version 7.5
48
Choose a camera view that lets you see a side view of the
character. For example you can press Ctrl-R to switch to the
Producer Right camera view (figure 4-6, B).
Note
Create the first pose for the walk cycle (figure 4-7) by doing the
following:
Select the Left Hip effector and rotate the left leg slightly
backward on the X-axis.
Select the Right Shoulder effector and rotate the right arm
slightly backward on the X-axis, then select the Left Shoulder
rotate the left arm forward as if Mia is naturally swinging her
arms.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
49
Select the Auxiliary pivots on Mias feet and rotate them until
her feet are positioned naturally.
In general, this pose should have Mia with her right leg
beginning the forward motion of a step (figure 4-7).
Note
Version 7.5
50
In the Pose Controls window, click Create to add this pose to the
Pose browser (figure 4-8, A), then right-click and rename the pose
Walk 01 (figure 4-8, B). You may need to expand the Poses
folder to see the pose.
B
A
Create a second pose for the walk cycle (figure 4-9) by doing the
following:
MotionBuilder Tutorials
51
B
figure 4-9: A. The second pose for the walk cycle. B. Adjust the Close_Open
property to control the pincers.
10 Create the final pose for the walk cycle (figure 4-11) by doing the
following:
Version 7.5
52
Position Mias legs and arms so that her step appears similar
to figure 4-11.
B
figure 4-11: A. The third pose for the walk cycle. B. The Close_Open property.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
53
Version 7.5
54
In the Key Controls window select Layer 1 from the Layer menu
(figure 4-16, A), then click Flat to set a Flat keyframe (figure 4-16,
B). You can also press Ctrl-K on the keyboard to set a Flat
keyframe.
A
B
figure 4-16: Key Controls A. Select
Layer 1. B. Click Flat.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
55
In the Key Controls Warning dialog box that appears, activate the
Dont Remind Me Again option (figure 4-17, A), then click Set Multi
Layer (figure 4-17, B).
A
B
figure 4-17: Key Controls Warning dialog box
A. Activate Dont remind me again. B. Click
Set Multi Layer.
Version 7.5
56
Drag the Timeline indicator through the animation to view the step
you have created.
The interpolation between the three keyframes creates the
movement for one step.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
57
Mirror poses
In this step, you will mirror the three poses from the Pose browser to
create the second half of the walk cycle. By keyframing these mirrored
poses after the original poses, you will complete the short walking
animation.
1
In the Match area of the Pose Controls window, activate the Mirror
option (figure 4-21, A).
Version 7.5
58
Version 7.5
60
figure 4-26: Press Ctrl-Shift-A to frame the animation you have created. A. Loop option
In the Transport Controls window, click Loop (figure 4-26, A), then
click Play.
As the animation plays, each loop shows a full walk cycle.
In your animation, the movement may be a bit choppy, and the feet
may slide on the floor. You can smooth your movement by
adjusting the animations function curves in the FCurves window.
Summary
During this tutorial, you created poses on a character, set keyframes
of these poses at different points, and quickly created a walk cycle.
You can also save poses in an .fbx file, which lets you reuse your
poses at any time.
In the next tutorial, Retargeting Character Animation on page 63, you
will learn how to retarget animation and a Character Extension from
one character to another. You can also try Creating a Loop on
page 89 if you want to learn how to create a walk cycle using the Story
window.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
61
Version 7.5
62
From the menu bar, select File > New, then select Layout >
Editing.
MotionBuilder displays a new scene using the Editing layout. This
layout displays all the windows you need for your work in this
tutorial.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
63
figure 5-1: A. Drag the mia_runstopturn.fbx file into the Viewer window.
B. Mia appears in the Viewer window.
Version 7.5
64
In the Transport Controls, click Play view the animation on the Mia
character (figure 5-3).
A
MotionBuilder Tutorials
65
Version 7.5
66
In the Save changes dialog box appears (figure 5-7), click Dont
Save.
From the Asset browser, drag the dancer.fbx file into the scene,
and select FBX Open > No animation (figure 5-8).
MotionBuilder Tutorials
67
Version 7.5
68
Navigate to select the .fbx file you saved earlier in this tutorial and
click Open (figure 5-11).
Make sure the Replace Control Rig option in the Control Rig
area is activated (figure 5-12, B).
Activate the Reset Control Rigs Rotation DOF option (figure 512, C).
MotionBuilder Tutorials
69
Click Open.
B
C
D
Version 7.5
70
Mias animation and her Control rig are loaded onto the Dancer
character. Because Mias Servo arm was parented to her right
shoulder FK effector, the Servo arm is attached in the same way to
the Dancer character (figure 5-13).
MotionBuilder Tutorials
71
A
B
figure 5-14: A. The Dancer runs, turns, and stops, using Mias animation.
B. Dancers Control rig is left in the middle of the scene. C. Play button
Notice that Dancers original Control rig is left in the middle of the
scene (figure 5-14, B).
This happens because you selected Replace Control Rig in the
Load Character Animation Options dialog box. Dancers Control rig
has been replaced by Mias.
Version 7.5
72
Summary
During this tutorial, you retargeted animation from one characterized
character to another. You also transferred the Character Extension
from the source character to the target character.
In the next tutorial, Editing Character Animation on page 75, you will
learn how to edit existing animation on a separate layer from your
original animation, then merge all layers together.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
73
Version 7.5
74
From the menu bar, select File > New, then select Layout >
Editing.
MotionBuilder displays a new scene using the Editing layout. This
layout displays all the windows you need for your work in this
tutorial.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
75
figure 6-1: A. Drag the mia_runstopturn.fbx file into the Viewer. B. The Mia character loads.
figure 6-2: Select the Producer Left camera view and zoom out to view the whole animation.
Version 7.5
76
Play the entire take (Ctrl-Spacebar) to view all the motion, paying
special attention to the Servo arm.
Right now, the Servo arm bounces along in front of Mia, pointing
towards the red wire-frame effector. Although this effector is
parented to Mias shoulder, the effector moves enough to cause
the Servo arm to jump around while Mia runs.
In the Key Controls, select Layer 1 from the Layer menu (figure 64, A).
A
figure 6-4: Key Controls A. Select
Layer 1 from the Layer menu.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
77
In the Key Controls Warning dialog box that appears, activate the
Dont Remind Me Again option (figure 6-6, A), then click Set Multi
Layer (figure 6-6, B).
Version 7.5
78
Go to frame 80.
At this frame, you are going to start modifying the animation so
that Mia raises her Servo arm (figure 6-8).
Do the following:
MotionBuilder Tutorials
79
A
figure 6-9: Frame 80 A. Set the Translation values. B. Set a keyframe.
Version 7.5
80
A
figure 6-10: Frame 120 A. Set the Translation XYZ values. B. Set a
keyframe.
A
figure 6-11: Frame 140 A. Set the Translation XYZ values.
B. Set a keyframe.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
81
Go to frame 30.
At this frame, Mias head is pointed straight ahead in the direction
she is running (figure 6-12). You will modify the motion so that Mia
turns her head.
In the Key Controls window, select New Layer from the Layer menu
(figure 6-13, A) to create a new layer where you will modify the
head animation.
Version 7.5
82
You can use Body Part keying mode as you create animation on
this layer, since you only need to set keyframes on the head, not
the entire body.
4
In the Key Controls, click Zero to set a zero keyframe (figure 6-15,
A).
A
figure 6-15: Key Controls A. Zero
keyframe button
MotionBuilder Tutorials
83
A
figure 6-17: Frame 60 A. Set the XYZ Rotation properties. B. Set a keyframe.
Version 7.5
84
A
figure 6-18: Frame 90 A. Adjust the Rotation values. B. Set a keyframe.
Set the Rotation XYZ values to 30, -5, 0 (figure 6-19, A).
A
figure 6-19: Frame 105 A. Adjust the Rotation values. B. Set a keyframe.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
85
From the Edit menu in the Character Controls window, select Plot
Character (figure 6-20, A). You can also use the Plot Character
button in the Character settings.
Version 7.5
86
In the first Character dialog box that appears, click Skeleton (figure
6-21, A), then click Plot in the second Character dialog box that
appears (figure 6-21, B).
B
figure 6-21: Character plotting dialog boxes A. Click Skeleton. B. Click Plot.
All the animation data is transferred from the Control rig to the
characters skeleton on the current take. You can see your plotted
data in the FCurves window as a series of function curves with
numerous keyframes.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
87
Summary
In this tutorial, you modified original animation by setting new
keyframes on two separate layers, then merged all the animation
together in one take. In the next tutorial, Creating a Loop on
page 89, you will learn how to create a walk cycle using the Story
window.
Version 7.5
88
From the menu bar, select File > New, then select Layout > Story.
MotionBuilder displays a new 3D scene using the Story layout.
This layout displays all the windows you need for your work in this
tutorial.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
89
figure 7-1: A. Drag mia_servo into the Viewer window. B. Mia appears in the scene.
Version 7.5
90
In the Story window, right-click in the Action Track list (figure 7-2, A)
and select Insert > Character Animation Track from the contextual
menu.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
91
figure 7-5: Drag the walkaround.fbx file into the Character track.
Version 7.5
92
Drag the clip so that it begins at frame 0. The clip should end at
frame 98.
Tip
Go to frame 40. At this frame, Mias right foot is flat on the ground
and her left foot is slightly lifted (figure 7-7).
MotionBuilder Tutorials
93
Change your camera view so you can see Mia from the front, as in
figure 7-7.
With the clip still selected, click the Razor button (figure 7-8, A).
A
Version 7.5
94
Select the second clip if it is not already selected, then click the
Razor button.
The second clip is sliced at frame 75, and you now have three
clips (figure 7-11).
10 Ctrl-click the first clip, so that the first and third clips are selected,
then press Delete, as you only need the middle clip.
11 Drag the remaining clip to start at frame 0 (figure 7-12).
figure 7-12: The clip starts at frame 0 and ends at frame 35.
Create poses
1
Go to frame 0 (Ctrl-Home).
MotionBuilder Tutorials
95
B
A
Version 7.5
96
A. Paste button
MotionBuilder Tutorials
97
Matching clips
In this step, you will match and blend the two clips to remove the jump
in the animation.
1
Version 7.5
98
In the Story window, click the Match button (figure 7-21, A).
A
In the Match Options dialog box that appears, click OK (figure 722, A).
MotionBuilder Tutorials
99
figure 7-23: Asset Settings window A. Set the In point to frame 29.
The second clip now starts at frame 29, cross-blending with the
first clip (figure 7-24). This blend creates a smoother transition
between the clips.
figure 7-24: The second clip starts at frame 29 and ends at frame 36.
Play the animation. Mia walks, starting and ending with the same
pose.
Version 7.5
100
MotionBuilder Tutorials
101
In the Save Clip dialog box that appears (figure 7-28), save your
new clip as mia_walk_cycle.fbx.
You will need the saved clip to complete this tutorial.
Version 7.5
102
Zoom out on the Character tracks, then stretch the end of the
mia_walk_cycle clip to frame 144 (figure 7-31, A). The clip loops
four times.
A
figure 7-31: Character tracks A. Stretch the clip to frame 140.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
103
Summary
In this tutorial, you took a short clip of animation and turned it into a
looping walk cycle. In the next tutorial, Manipulating Clips on
page 105, you will learn how to edit character animation by modifying
clips.
Version 7.5
104
From the menu bar, select File > New, then select Layout > Story.
MotionBuilder displays a new scene using the Story layout. This
layout displays all the windows you need for your work in this
tutorial.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
105
A model named Mia appears in the Viewer window (figure 8-1, B).
In the Story window, there is a track with a clip called
Clip_Run_Loop (figure 8-2). Mia is selected in the tracks
Character menu.
figure 8-1: A. Drag the mia_story.fbx file into the Viewer window.
B. Mia appears in the scene.
In the Story window, click on the Character track (figure 8-2, A) and
press A to frame the clip.
Version 7.5
106
Create a turn
In this step, you will slice a clip in two, then rotate a ghost clip vector
to make Mia turn as she runs.
1
Go to frame 14.
At this frame, Mias left foot is flat on the ground (figure 8-3).
MotionBuilder Tutorials
107
Select the clip (figure 8-4, B) and click the Razor button (figure 8-4,
A).
A
The clip is sliced into two clips at frame 14 (figure 8-5, A).
A
figure 8-5: Character track A. The clip is sliced in two at the current time.
Version 7.5
108
Go to frame 0 (Ctrl-Home).
figure 8-7: Mia at frame 0. A. Model ghost B. First clips ghost clip vector C. Second clips
ghost clip vector.
In the Story window, select the second clip if it is not still selected
(figure 8-8, A).
The ghost clip vector of the selected clip is also selected in the
Viewer window.
A
figure 8-8: Character track A. The second clip is still selected.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
109
If the rings do not appear at the same point of the clip vector as
shown in figure 8-9, double-click on the clip vectors In point (figure
8-9, B) to select it.
Version 7.5
110
You can also rotate the clip vector manually by dragging the green
rotation ring.
A
figure 8-10: A. Enter a value of -70. B. The ghost clip vector is rotated.
MotionBuilder Tutorials
111
Make sure that the Loop option (figure 8-11, A) is active in the
Story window.
A
Version 7.5
112
figure 8-14: A. Drag the file onto the track. B. The new clip
MotionBuilder Tutorials
113
Deselect the new clip, then right-click the Character track and
select Frame Start/End from the contextual menu.
Match clips
In this step, you will match the last clip to the previous clip to remove
the jump in the animation.
1
Go to frame 0.
In the Viewer window, switch to the Schematic view and select the
Mia:RightFoot node (figure 8-16, A).
This node represents Mias right foot and will be used as the
matching object.
Version 7.5
114
In the Story window, select the third clip (figure 8-17, A), then click
the Match Options button (figure 8-17, B).
B
figure 8-17: Story window A. Select the third clip. B. Match Options button
A
B
MotionBuilder Tutorials
115
Click OK.
The last clip vector moves to match the previous clip.
Deselect Mia:RightFoot.
Summary
In this tutorial, you sliced a clip of running animation in two and
rotated one clip vector ghost to make the character turn while running.
Then you added another clip with different animation and blended all
three clips together in one seamless animation sequence.
Version 7.5
116